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https://www.faithwire.com/2023/09/26/its-all-god-butcher-turned-pastor-explains-how-hes-monumentally-grown-his-church-led-hundreds-to-christ/
‘It’s All God’: Butcher-Turned-Pastor Explains How He’s Monumentally Grown His Church, Led Hundreds to Christ
Photo by Mitchell Leach on Unsplash
By Billy Hallowell
Editor
4 hours ago
A Kentucky pastor who’s been preaching for decades offered a simple but powerful blueprint for sharing the Gospel — and a reminder every Christian should heed.
In a world where it’s easy to overthink evangelism and spreading the faith, Bobby Eaton told Kentucky Today his secret to spreading the faith and growing his church is totally centered on the Lord.

“It’s all God,” he said of his evangelistic efforts.

The 77-year-old hasn’t always been a preacher.

“I was a butcher who ran a meat market for 31 years,” Eaton said.

But he eventually realized God had big plans to use him to spread the Gospel.

Eaton, pastor of Poplar Grove Baptist Church in Corbin, Kentucky, described what unfolded 20 years ago when he was asked to fill in for the then-pastor, who was suffering from cancer.

The tiny church had just 20 people in its services, which left Eaton stunned. Based on nearby homes, he expected far more people to be in the pews, Kentucky Today reported.

“I told my wife, ‘That church should be running 150,'” he said. “I took Poplar Grove as a bivocational pastor, and the Lord started blessing. We hit all those neighborhoods. We’ve just kept growing and growing, even though there aren’t many kids in those subdivisions.”

That growth continued and, two decades later, the church now has about 300 people in each service. Membership and church activity have grown under Eaton’s leadership.

Still, he takes no credit, repeatedly telling the outlet it was all God.

As for Eaton’s general ministry skills, he took some classes to hone his craft in evangelism but said he typically keeps the message simple, often using the “Romans Road” tool to share the Christian faith — a simple reiteration of Paul sharing the Gospel in the book of Romans.

And that simple approach to sharing the truth has made a big impact. According to Kentucky Today, in addition to Eaton growing his current church, he also led around 300 people to the Lord during his 13 years on staff at Central Baptist and Immanuel Baptist and while working as a chaplain at Baptist Health.

Read more about his powerful story here.

It’s interesting to see pastors keeping things simple and seeing God work. Eaton is hardly alone in his approach, with other pastors and revivalists sharing similar tactics and stories — journeys that should inspire all Christians to realize the Gospel is enough to change hearts and minds.

As CBN Digital previously reported, North Carolina preacher Ralph Sproles, who has spent nearly seven decades sharing the Gospel, revealed last month the simple secret he believes is crucial to any preacher’s success.

“Just love your people,” Sproles told WGHP-TV. “If you don’t love people, you’re not going to be effective in the ministry.”

Sproles, who is in his late 80s and still preaching at revivals and delivering occasional sermons, said this essential lesson is one every pastor must heed. Showing love for a congregation — and for people more generally — is at the very heart of any successful ministry, he said.

“I’m a hugging preacher,” he added. “I hug people.”

Sproles also spoke about the importance of intentionally vocalizing his care and feelings for others, noting doing so is an expression of true faith and devotion.

“I tell people I love them,” he said. “When I see them at church, I say, ‘I want you to know I love you,’ because they don’t hear enough of that. That’s what the Christian life is about.”

These pastors’ approach — one rooted in truth and love — is changing hearts and minds. Read more about Sproles here.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

https://mailchi.mp/cufi/prayerpoints-8sept2023-589785?e=1d69632042

24th September 2023
“And the Lord said to Joshua: ‘See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valour'” Joshua 6:2


There is no mistaking. God gave the city of Jericho into Israel’s hand. It was the first city conquered by Israel after crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, something that the God of Israel gave specific command for Joshua to do. Joshua’s men marched in silence around the city once each day for six days. The priests walked with them, blowing ram’s horns and carrying the ark of the covenant as a sign of God’s presence among them. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times and at the appropriate signal, the priests were to blow their trumpets and the people were to give a magnificent shout. They did exactly as Joshua commanded, the walls crumbled, and the city was destroyed. Only Rahab and all her family were spared.

Then we read in Joshua 6:17 that the whole city was to be devoted to the Lord as an offering, or dedicated for destruction as some translations say. They were to not take anything for themselves. All of the spoils – silver, gold, bronze and iron – were to be “consecrated unto the Lord” and stored in Israel’s treasury.

In the shadow of God’s warning not to rebuild Jericho, it remained uninhabited for around 500 years until Hiel of Bethal rebuilt the city at a cost of the lives of two of his sons. But then Jericho entered a new era, including that of being the home of the ‘sons of the prophets’ (2 Kings 2:4-18). Fast forward and the sons of Jericho helped in the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Nehemiah. Jericho is also mentioned several times in the Old Testament, always in the context of a Jewish city. In the Gospels, Jericho is portrayed as an affluent city, where Jesus healed a beggar and dined at the home of Zacchaeus, where the rich tax collector was convicted of his greed and received salvation.

Why do we share this short glimpse into Bible history? Whilst Israel and the Jewish people around the world were blowing trumpets during the Biblical feast of Rosh Hashanah last weekend, the UN World Heritage Committee (a part of UNESCO) was meeting to decide which part of Jewish heritage it could rewrite. It decided that the ancient ruins of Ancient Jericho, the world’s oldest fortified city, would be added to the “World Heritage Site in Palestine” list. They refer to the site as Tell es-Sultan (meaning Sultan’s Hill in Arabic). But Palestinian leadership is overjoyed that once again they can use the anti-Israel UNESCO’s redefinition as a way to further its Palestinisation of Jewish heritage in an attempt to rewrite history in favour of its revisionist history. Jericho is now added to the list of “Palestine” world heritage sites, along with the Church of the Nativity and the pilgrimage route in Bethlehem, the cultural landscape of southern Jerusalem and Battir, and the Old City in Hebron.

Israel’s foreign ministry has committed to act to change the decision. The purpose of today’s prayer bulletin is this: pray that the Jewish connection to Jerusalem, Jericho and all the Land of Israel will be protected from those who wish to undermine the Jewish people’s connection to the land. UNESCO’s decision is meaningless compared with historical fact. It doesn’t have any authority to change what the Bible says. Remember, “I have given Jericho into your hand,” the Lord said. That is what God determined and it hasn’t changed.

Meanwhile, the moral of the story for Christians is this: let us make sure we read our Bibles, identify hogwash when we see it, and be ready to defend Israel.

Thank you for praying with us today.

Christians United for Israel UK < info@cufi.org.uk
Watch Episode 27 of the CUFI UK Podcast
UK-Israel agree science deal,
Erdogan eyes up Jerusalem

Alex and Alastair share news of a brand new science and innovation deal between the UK and Israel. Plus, since our last podcast Iran has said what they plan to do with the $6bn transferred to them courtesy of the US. They also discuss comments by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince about the likelihood of a peace agreement with Israel, and what are President Erdogan's personal motives in the extended arm of friendship to Israel? We explain why Israel needs to be cautious and why Christians need to pray.

Listen or watch on the following platforms:

Watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVXNueerJYs
Watch on Rumble
https://rumble.com/v3ju01s-fzs-ep27.html
Listen on Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-zions-sake/id1674652650
Listen on Spotify
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-zions-sake/id1674652650
Join CUFI every week as we sit down to discuss current issues affecting Israel. We’ll be presenting the FACTS, sharing opinion and providing an insight and perspective into the very latest stories.

Please remember to Like, Share and Comment. If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support CUFI UK further, please consider making a donation to our work. Thank you!

https://www.cufi.org.uk/news/unesco-redefines-ancient-jericho-site-as-palestinian-heritage-site/
UNESCO redefines ancient Jericho site as Palestinian heritage site
United Nations World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) has decided to list ancient ruins in Judea and Samaria, the heartland of the land of Israel, as “World Heritage Site in Palestine.”

Referred to as Tell es-Sultan (meaning Sultan’s Hill in Arabic) by UNESCO, Tel Jericho or Ancient Jericho is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and consists of the remains of the world’s oldest fortified city.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry protested the decision, saying Israel considers it to be “another sign of the cynical use the Palestinians are making of UNESCO and the organisation’s politicisation. Israel will act with its many friends in the organisation to change the flawed decisions made.”

n 2019, Israel left UNESCO, accusing the body of being anti-Israel. Then ambassador to UN, Danny Danon, told Times of Israel at the time that “UNESCO is a body that continually rewrites history, including by erasing the Jewish connection to Jerusalem.”

“It is corrupted and manipulated by Israel’s enemies, and continually singles out the only Jewish state for condemnation. We are not going to be a member of an organisation that deliberately acts against us,” He added.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the UN World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The ancient city joins three other “UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Palestine”: the Church of the Nativity and the pilgrimage route in Bethlehem, the cultural landscape of southern Jerusalem and Battir, and the Old City in Hebron.
Listen to our discussion on this topic from the CUFI UK Podcast:

Christians United for Israel
Israel can count on CUFI to stand in the gap
I would prefer to say that Israel can count on Christians to stand in the gap. After all, we declare here at CUFI that it is “Because I am a Christian, I stand with Israel”. If we are being honest, however, we must recognise that there are many who call themselves Christians who have failed to grasp this basic tenet of the Bible.

Too many Christians have been tricked into believing the false doctrine of Replacement Theology (Supersessionism), wrongly thinking the Church has replaced Israel. The Bible is clear, when God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that the land of Israel would belong to the Jewish people forever, He meant it.
Not all Christians have revelation on Israel, but all Christians have an accountability to the God of Israel.
Thankfully, a growing number of Christians in the United Kingdom are reconnecting to their Judeo-Christian heritage through the work of CUFI. We are raising up ‘Watchmen on the Walls’, who understand the times we are living in and stand firm in their Biblical beliefs. We have seen a resurgence of pro-Israel advocacy amongst Christians in recent years, but there is still work to be done.
Just as Christians are accountable, Britain is also accountable to the God of Israel because of the role our nation played and the promises our leaders made relating to the Jewish nation. It was solid Biblical theology that seeded Zionism in the hearts of British ministers, politicians, and businessmen, which God used to forge the path for Israel’s rebirth.

God allowed British soldiers to liberate the land of Israel from the Ottomans, ending hundreds of years of illegal occupation. The Balfour Declaration was issued by the UK Foreign Office because our nation was the only nation with legal jurisdiction over the Land of Israel at that time. Remarkably, British forces marched into Jerusalem without a single shot being fired just a few days after the Balfour Declaration was signed. And history records that those soldiers understood the importance of Jerusalem from God’s perspective.
MORE https://www.cufi.org.uk/membership/

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Can Artificial Intelligence Save Churches From Mass Shooters? Ex-Navy https://www.faithwire.com/2023/09/19/can-artificial-intelligence-save-churches-from-mass-shooters-ex-navy-seals-are-using-technology-to-do-just-that/
SEALs Are Using Technology to Do Just That
By Billy Hallowell
Editor
September 19, 2023
With artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly evolving and expanding in its size, scope, and abilities, houses of worship are beginning to look at ways to harness its power to protect congregants from mass shootings.

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast


Matt Montana, director of safety at Valley Baptist Church out in Bakersfield, California, told the “Higher Ground With Billy Hallowell” podcast how his church is preparing to use AI to stop gunmen in their tracks.

“I came on staff here a little over three years ago after retiring from law enforcement,” he said. “And as I assessed the safety needs of our community … I really felt it was important to kind of identify some sort of technology that would allow us to identify if somebody had weapons on our campus.”

Montana, whose church has four campuses, said guns themselves aren’t his concern; his security worries center on trying to prevent people from “having weapons on campus for nefarious means.”

As he began his quest to find innovative ways to protect Valley Baptist Church, a company called ZeroEyes came across his desk, and he was immediately intrigued.

Find out about how ZeroEyes relies on AI for gun detection:


Founded by a team of former Navy SEALs and technology experts, ZeroEyes describes itself as a “human-verified proactive gun detection and situational awareness software that integrates into existing digital security cameras with a mission to stop mass shootings and gun-related violence.”

Rob Huberty, COO and co-founder of ZeroEyes, told “Higher Ground With Billy Hallowell” he and his team began laying the groundwork for the company after the infamous Parkland shooting.

“A bunch of us, we saw a video of the shooter who was out, and he had his gun out in front of a camera, and he actually talked to another student. He said, ‘get out of here. It’s going to be bad,'” Huberty recounted. “And we said, ‘There’s an opportunity here to see a gun and do something before anything happens. What if somebody was watching this?'”

Considering many people aren’t actively monitoring security video to vet for such occurrences, the ZeroEyes team pondered how technology could fill that gap and become a proactive tool.

“We said, ‘Could we use AI and leverage it in a way to spot guns?” Huberty said, noting his team quickly realized there was nothing like that on the market. “So, we’re like, let’s create this, and let’s do it in a way that … is the least intrusive.”

ZeroEyes uses video cameras that already exist at various institutions. The company started by working with schools, processing images frame-by-frame to see if and when guns might show up.

“We took images of ourselves carrying guns on these types of cameras, and we just compiled a massive database for what the definition of a gun is,” Huberty said, explaining the software will then flag any gun that shows up on security cameras. “If there’s an image, it’s going to send out an alert, and it’s going to give that image of that location.”

The flagged image can then make its way into the hands of first responders to prepare them to take quick and decisive action to neutralize threats more readily. The use of current cameras, Huberty said, doesn’t invade privacy while simultaneously elevating security.

As for Montana and his planned use of the technology, he was initially intrigued not only by ZeroEyes’ mission, but also by the veterans behind the company who had given their “service to the nation.”

“I really just started … studying it and thought it’d be a perfect fit for us,” Montana said.


Valley Baptist Church hasn’t yet turned on ZeroEyes, but parishioners support the coming effort to protect them.

“They’re grateful for the efforts we’re putting forward to protect the congregation,” Montana said.


The former law enforcement officer, who spent the last 14 years of his career assigned to an FBI international terrorism squad, said some people want to harm innocents — and that churches and houses of worship should take heed.

“That’s just a fact of life,” Montana said. “I think it’s extremely important for me personally, for churches, houses of faith to recognize that and be vigilant — not to be paranoid, but be vigilant.”

Find out more about ZeroEyes here.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

https://www.cufi.org.uk/news/uk-has-no-plan-to-ban-irans-irgc-says-cleverly-during-israel-trip/
UK has no plan to ban Iran’s IRGC, says Cleverly during Israel trip
Sep 15, 2023 | News

UK has no plan to ban Iran’s IRGC, says Cleverly during Israel trip
The UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, has said there are no plans for the UK to ban Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), despite mounting cross-party pressure in Westminster, saying he does not consider such a move to be in Britain’s interests.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Security Minister Tom Tugendhat have both backed the move, but the Foreign Office is still resisting. Proscribing the IRGC would make it a criminal offence in the UK to attend the group’s meetings, display its logo in public or encourage its activities.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to Israel this week, Cleverly asked whether he would support proscribing the IRGC in light of the UK Government’s decision to declare Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group a terrorist organisation last week. But Cleverly insisted that “many of the things that people want” from proscription were “actually being achieved by our sanctions regime” that is already in place.

“We will always keep our options open and we will always act in our country’s best interests,” Cleverly said.

“Any decision we make on proscription or sanctions is always done with the protection of British nationals and British interests at heart.”

Cleverly said he would not “speculate” on whether the policy might change in future, pointing out that any decision of this kind would be taken “across government”, not by the Foreign Office alone.

Ask the UK government to ban the IRGC – Click here

Meanwhile, senior Tory MP David Davis has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asking him to order proscription immediately.

In his letter, the Foreign Office minister responsible for intelligence and security, who also served as a member of the SAS — wrote:

“Iran is one of the UK’s most prominent adversaries on the global stage. But its activities go beyond the diplomatic sphere and into the territory of terror.”

The letter goes on to cite recent reports revealing IRGC commanders’ talks to UK students, and collaborations between British and Iranian scientists on sophisticated drone technology. It also notes that Tugendhat has confirmed that “Iran has been seeking to compile intelligence on prominent UK-based Jews”.

Davis’s letter says: “All these things add up to a serious risk to the British state and its citizens. The Government rightly proposes to proscribe the Wagner Group.

“If a group which poses no direct or immediate threat to British residents can be proscribed, the case for proscribing the IRGC, which clearly poses such a threat, is overwhelming.”

https://www.faithwire.com/2023/09/12/how-was-the-bible-created-filmmaker-explores-proof-veracity-of-gods-word/?
How Was the Bible Created? Filmmaker Explores Proof, Veracity of God’s Word

This Friday, May 10, 2013 photo shows the ten commandments written on one of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Jerusalem. Nearly 70 years after the discovery of the world's oldest biblical manuscripts, the Palestinian family who originally sold them to scholars and institutions is now quietly marketing the leftovers - fragments the family says it has kept in a Swiss safe deposit box all these years. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)

https://www.faithwire.com/2023/09/07/we-will-not-be-disappointed-john-piper-weighs-in-on-whether-christians-will-work-in-heaven/?
‘We Will Not Be Disappointed’: John Piper Weighs In on Whether Christians Will Work in Heaven
By Tré Goins-Phillips
Editor
September 7, 2023
Christian author and theologian John Piper believes Christians will work in heaven, but argued it will look profoundly different than it does in this current world.

Working, he said on a recent “Ask Pastor John” segment, will be “profoundly satisfying and sweet and enjoyable,” even adding no one will ask for a weekend break in heaven.

“I think we will work in the final age to come,” he continued. “Whether we will do what we were gifted for here, or whether we will have wholly new giftings, a thousand times greater, or what kind of work John Piper will be doing, I leave in the hands of God, who planned the universe for the happiness of His people in Himself. We will not be disappointed.”

The Minnesota-based pastor cautioned that — despite several Bible verses referencing work — our occupations in heaven will very likely look much different than they do on earth.

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast

Piper noted passages like John 5:17, which states God “is working until now,” and Luke 19:17, which points to servants being granted authority over cities.

Christians, he said, are created for good works.

“When Paul identified a purpose for the new creature in Christ — us — he said the purpose was work, ‘good works,'” Piper explained.

He also argued that work is not a punishment; rather, he said, the pain that comes with work is the result of the fall, as opposed to the work itself. Piper described work in heaven as “thrilling, satisfying, creative” while work in this sinful world will, according to Genesis 3:17-19, be “futile, burdensome, frustrating.”

What that work will look like, however, is unclear.

Piper said, “Perhaps (this is speculation) there will be sweet weariness of mind and body, the new body getting weary in the age to come such that it needs something different from its usual occupation — namely, rest and play.”

“I don’t know,” he continued, “because work itself will be so profoundly satisfying and sweet and enjoyable that nobody will say, ‘I need a weekend. I’ve got to have some play time,’ because everything will be as happy and satisfying as play.”

You can listen to Piper’s full explanation in the video above.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

https://www.cufi.org.uk/
CUFI UK
Papua New Guinea honours God, Iran bans athlete over Israel handshake
Alex and Alastair discuss the wonderful decision of Papua New Guinea's Christian leaders to open an embassy in Jerusalem and honour God publicly at the ceremony, making it clear this is not a political issue, but a Biblical one. Also discussed is the shameful decision of the Iranian regime to issue a lifetime ban against its own athlete simply because he shook hands with an Israeli athlete. The BBC also admitted their presenter broke the rules when interviewing Israel's former Prime Minister. And just why did a Palestinian school get attacked by Palestinian terrorists?
Listen or watch on the following platforms:
Watch on YouTube
Watch on Rumble
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Join CUFI every week as we sit down to discuss current issues affecting Israel. We’ll be presenting the FACTS, sharing opinion and providing an insight and perspective into the very latest stories.

Please remember to Like, Share and Comment. If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support CUFI UK further, please consider making a donation to our work. Thank you!

https://mailchi.mp/cufi/prayerpoints-11aug23-589714?e=1d69632042
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
This week we are praying about several different incidents that have all stemmed from a single attitude, the hatred of Israel and the Jewish people.

Pray for the Iranian weightlifter, Mostafa Rajaei, who has been banned from the sport for life by his own country because he shook hands with an Israeli athlete. It’s a travesty that the authorities in Iran have such a hatred of Israel that they are persecuting their own athlete simply because he showed good sportsmanship. Let’s pray for Mostafa’s protection and the protection of his family and there will no doubt be threats made against him.
Pray for the victims of terror this week, both for those who were injured but also the family of Maksym Molchanov, a 20-year-old off-duty soldier who was killed after being run over by a terrorist driving a truck. Several other Israelis, including civilians, and a Palestinian teen were also injured, highlighting that the terrorist’s actions are harmful to both sides. Let’s pray for all these victims as they recover.
Pray for the ex-Foreign Minister of Libya who this week was forced to flee her country after the news that she met with Israel’s Foreign Minister. Such is the hatred for Israel that the government fired her, protesters took to the streets and threats were made against her, despite her doing nothing wrong. We need to pray for the protection of Najla Mangoush and her family.
Pray for the former head of the European Court of Human Rights, Bostjan Zupancic, who has been spreading vile antisemitism online. Along with his antisemitism he has also posted Scriptures, so let’s prayGod moves his heart away from such hatred. Let’s also pray that any cases he presided over will be investigated to ensure Jews were not discriminated against by his decisions.
As you can see, all the issues we are praying about this week are different forms of hatred towards God’s people that have manifested themselves in different ways. Let’s pray that God will comfort all of these people affected.

Thank you for praying with us this week.

Thank you for praying with us today.

https://www.faithwire.com/2023/09/01/i-have-a-strong-faith-hollywood-actress-jill-wagner-reveals-how-her-life-transformed-when-she-started-talking-to-god/?utm_source=cbn&utm_medium=email

‘I Have a Strong Faith’: Hollywood Actress Jill Wagner Reveals How Her Life Transformed When She Started ‘Talking to God’

Jill Wagner arrives at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards, on Sunday, April 13, 2014 in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision for MTV/AP Images)
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There will be no peace when Palestinian parents praise their 14-year-old son for stabbing a Jewish teen
This week Israel has faced a number of terror attacks in a number of different forms, a truck ramming against civilians, a bombing attack on Joseph’s Tomb, terrorist mobs attacking busses by throwing rocks, and a stabbing attack against an Israeli civilian.

Click here to read https://www.cufi.org.uk/news/there-will-be-no-peace-when-palestinian-parents-praise-their-14-year-old-son-for-stabbing-a-jewish-teen/

CHRISTIAN NEWS NETWORK Faithw34

Nick Hall Reveals How and Why Historic 'Moments of Revival' Are Breaking Through Cultural Chaos

Hall, founder of Pulse, is on the frontlines of the digital evangelism explosion, reaching millions of people with biblical truth through online and in-person events.

READ MORE

https://www.faithwire.com/2023/08/25/help-me-abducted-woman-rescued-after-slipping-note-to-gas-station-customer/?
‘Help Me’: Abducted Woman Rescued After Slipping Note to Gas Station Customer
Photo by Melanie Wasser/Unsplash
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By Talia Wise
August 25, 2023
A missing Arizona woman who was allegedly kidnapped by a man posing as a female Uber driver was rescued by authorities after she passed a chilling note to a customer at a gas station begging for help.

According to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, a woman was abducted from the Phoneix area by 41-year-old Jacob Wilhoit.

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast


Her mother had reported her missing and stated that Wilhoit was a person of interest.

The sheriff’s office said the woman was abducted around 7 a.m. when Wilhoit posed as an Uber driver wearing a woman’s wig. 

He restrained the woman and drove to Las Vegas where they spent the night in a park. 

The next day, they stopped at a Chevron station in Seligman, about 170 miles north of Phoenix. The woman secretly slipped a note to a customer. 

“Help,” she scribbled on the note, adding her name and phone number. “Call 911. Blue Honda van … going towards Kingman Las Vegas.”

The customer dialed 911 and provided authorities with the details written on the note including where the van was headed. 

Officers apprehended the vehicle on Interstate 40 where they found multiple guns in plain view. 

They rescued the woman and arrested Wilhoit. 

“The victim’s extraordinary action in passing the note, the customer’s willingness to assist, and the quick actions of YCSO and DPS saved the victim from her kidnapper and allowed her to return home with her family,” reads a statement from the Sheriff’s Office.

Wilhoit was taken into custody without incident and faces charges of threatening, aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, and other crimes. 

Authorities have not identified a possible motive. 

Sheriff’s office spokesperson Kristin Green says the woman is still traumatized by the entire experience. 

“We’re confident that she’ll get through it. And obviously she wants to see this man put away. She’s still in a state of shock about all of this,” she said.

Green also said the customer did the right thing by calling 911.

“It’s really no skin off your back to take the person seriously and make the call to 911. If it turns out it’s some kind of hoax, no harm no foul. But don’t just automatically discount it,” she said.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
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https://www.faithwire.com/2023/08/25/man-removed-from-board-meeting-for-reading-vulgar-content-in-book-that-was-available-in-school-library/?
Man Removed From Board Meeting for Reading Vulgar Content in Book That Was Available in School Library

A man from Fort Worth, Texas, was forcibly removed from a school board meeting this week when he began to read sexually explicit excerpts from a book that was available to students in school libraries.

https://www.cufi.org.uk/
Watch Episode 23 of the CUFI UK Podcast
Reaction to Israeli mum killed by Fatah & Abbas legal threat at UK

Alex and Alastair discuss the two terrorist attacks this week including the killing of an Israeli kindergarten teacher; the silence from the UK following the attack, and why Fatah's link to 70% of terror attacks in Judea and Samaria presents an uncomfortable reality for Western governments sending monetary aid to the Palestinian Authority. Plus, the largely unreported rise in Arab on Arab organised crime in Israel this year that accounts for 94% of shootings in Israel and may require Israel's Shin Bet agency to help resolve.


Listen or watch on the following platforms:

Watch on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT7A4loaSQE
Watch on Rumble
https://rumble.com/v3bi12w-fzs-ep23.html
Listen on Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-zions-sake/id1674652650
Listen on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/2LKj4qtMEa6tXzchNg0fcJ
Join CUFI every week as we sit down to discuss current issues affecting Israel. We’ll be presenting the FACTS, sharing opinion and providing an insight and perspective into the very latest stories.

Please remember to Like, Share and Comment. If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support CUFI UK further, please consider making a donation to our work. Thank you!

https://www.cufi.org.uk/news/sierra-leone-to-become-first-african-nation-to-open-embassy-in-jerusalem/
Sierra Leone to become first African nation to open embassy in Jerusalem
Aug 25, 2023 | News
Sierra Leone to become first African nation to open embassy in Jerusalem
Sierra Leone will become the first African nation to open an embassy in Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, becoming the sixth nation to do so.

The announcement came in a statement from President Julius Maada Bio following a conversation Thursday with Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

“They discussed the warm relations between both countries that date back to 1961 when Sierra Leone gained independence. As part of efforts to strengthen the relationship between the two nations, His Excellency President Bio expressed his government’s readiness to establish an Embassy of Sierra Leone in Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel,” The statement said.

Currently, the US, Guatemala Honduras and Kosovo have embassies in Jerusalem, while Paraguay announced last week it would reopen its embassy there too. 

“I was pleased to hear from the president of Sierra Leone of his intentions to open an embassy in Jerusalem,” Cohen said.

“We continue to put Jerusalem, our eternal capital, at the head of the diplomatic program of the State of Israel,” he said, adding that an unnamed nation from the Asia Pacific region would also open an embassy in Jerusalem in September.

Israel and Sierra Leone established diplomatic ties in 1961, but they were suspended in 1973 — along with several other African nations — following the Yom Kippur War.

Central Texans Pray for Rain Amid Severe Drought

Inspired by the Old Testament prophet Elijah, a group of Christians in Central Texas are praying for rain amid a severe drought.

READ MORE

Since CUFI UK began in 2015, British MPs have received thousands of emails from CUFI supporters, who want to see the UK stand with Israel. Whilst our campaigns have achieved successes, we’re constantly looking ahead at the ever-changing needs and how we can be even more effective in our campaign work in the future. Therefore, I would like to share recent important developments in our advocacy work, and how with your support, CUFI is making a difference.

Firstly, circumstances beyond our control meant that the former system that supporters used to email their MPs was no longer available to us. This led CUFI to commission a brand new system that I believe is a game-changer in Israel advocacy. If you’ve already used the new system, I’m sure you will have noticed the improvements. Not only will the new system improve your experience, it will also enable even more people to take action in support of Israel. 

Defending Israel 

Defending Israel in the public square is as important now than it has ever been. Britain must stand with Israel, but this can only be a reality if this nation’s decision makers hear your voice – a voice of truth and integrity, above the voices of lies and deception.

Therefore, we view this new system as an investment for Israel’s cause. It is free for CUFI supporters to use, but it has cost CUFI significantly in its development and maintenance. As we didn’t anticipate having to build a new system, the development wasn’t in our original annual budget. We now urgently need extra income to continue to advance our campaigning. Therefore, please consider supporting the advocacy work by becoming a member.

www.cufi.org.uk/membership
Making an impact  

Since introducing our brand-new letter-writing platform, we have already seen the impact. In July, MPs voted in favour of anti-BDS legislation that will prevent local authorities from boycotting Israel. It is now close to becoming law, and we believe it is thanks to the efforts of CUFI supporters that many MPs were encouraged to vote in support of Israel in this matter.

Thousands of pro-Israel supporters like you responded and sent an email to their local Member of Parliament. A glance at the campaign analytics shows that responding CUFI supporters were spread throughout the United Kingdom meaning almost every MP in the British Isles heard from multiple CUFI supporters about this important issue.

The value of taking action 

I can’t begin to express how important this action is. Firstly, writing to your MP challenges them if they hold a negative view towards Israel, presenting them with a constructive argument and most importantly, the truth. Secondly, those MPs who are known to be pro-Israel and might face antagonism for being so, are often encouraged to hear from constituents that validate their view. Please do not under-estimate the effectiveness of advocacy for Israel. CUFI is making a stand for Israel and by working together we will see the fruit of our labour.

We have another campaign running calling upon the British government to ban Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC is Iran’s terror arm that operates freely in the UK. Britain banned Hezbollah, which is controlled by the IRGC, so there is no excuse why the UK hasn’t yet banned the IRGC itself. Israel and the United Kingdom will both benefit by the UK taking this stand against Iranian terror. Please visit www.cufi.org.uk/IRGC if you haven’t already written to your MP on this specific issue. Again, this is using our new platform which enables UK residents to contact the UK government and their local MP directly in just a few clicks.

CUFI Action Fund  

At Christians United for Israel, we will continue to take action in defence of Israel. In this 75th anniversary year, our aim is to take our advocacy to a new level. The rebirth of the State of Israel offers the ultimate example of Jewish resilience. Not only have the Jewish people survived thousands of years of brutality, but, with God on their side, the Children of Israel have remained strong in spite of it all! Once they were reborn as a nation—their enemy’s armies came against them, but God was their Strong Tower and Israel was victorious. Even today, despite constant terror attacks and antisemitism promoted by world leaders, the international media, and educational institutions, Israel continues to flourish. By choosing to advocate for Israel, we have chosen to align with God’s side, and I thank you for standing with us in this cause.

CUFI is providing the practical means for Christians to put this conviction into action. To help us meet our objectives and become an even stronger force for good by standing with Israel, I invite you to become a member of CUFI through a monthly donation. Doing so helps us in our advocacy work here in the UK and make an even greater impact in all aspects of our work. To become a member of CUFI, please go to www.cufi.org.uk/membership

Thank you once again for standing with Israel. We appreciate every prayer that is prayed, every donation that is made and everyone who takes part in our campaigns. Together, we are raising the bar of Israel advocacy.

For Zion’s Sake,
Des Starritt
Executive Director, CUFI UK

Donate to CUFI
https://www.cufi.org.uk/donateweb/
Dohttps://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=D5XNJACRLUBDEnate through PayPal

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Call 01793 862 210 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri)
Post a cheque to PO Box 3837, Swindon, SN3 9DS; payable to 'CUFI'
Standing Order Click here to download the form

Finally Free From Her ESPN Muzzle, Sage Steele Speaks Out for Women in Trans Sports Debate
After settling a free speech dispute with Disney-owned ESPN, veteran sportscaster Sage Steele is using her platform to support and protect female sports. 
fter settling a free speech dispute with Disney-owned ESPN, veteran sportscaster Sage Steele is using her platform to support and protect female sports. 

Sage's case stems from comments she made on a popular podcast in 2021, where she voiced her disapproval of Disney's COVID vaccination policy. In response, the company forced Sage to apologize and took away high-profile assignments. So, she sued Disney for violating her constitutional rights. 

"I have been part of empowering women in this man's world, starting with myself – as a little girl, having this dream of being a sportscaster, but on every level professionally with women – and I will never stop that," said Steele. 

Recently, Steele and ESPN mutually agreed to part ways. Steele announced her decision on social media, "Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/DISNEY, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my First Amendment rights more freely. I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter." 
Read more 
https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/finally-free-her-espn-muzzle-sage-steele-speaks-out-women-trans-sports-debate?utm_source=cbn&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news-eu-faithwire&utm_content=20230822-7550373&inid=4b58f7c0-7f5b-eb11-b823-005056af0da1

https://www.faithwire.com/2023/08/22/man-who-stole-sean-feuchts-guitar-accepts-jesus-gets-baptized/
Man Who Stole Sean Feucht’s Guitar Accepts Jesus, Gets Baptized
God can use all things — including a stolen guitar — to draw people toward Himself.

Over the summer, “Let Us Worship” leader Sean Feucht shared on social media his prized 1967 Gallagher guitar had been stolen by a man who broke into his vehicle. A few days later, one of Feucht’s friends found the guitar at a pawn shop and purchased it back after it had allegedly been sold for drug money.

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast

https://www.cufi.org.uk/
Watch: A Night to Honour Israel 2023 – Washington DC
Jul 18, 2023 | Featured Videos, News

Watch: A Night to Honour Israel 2023 – Washington DC
Pastor John Hagee leads the 2023 A Night to Honour Israel in Washington DC.

The event was held late Monday night (UK time) and features speeches from Pastor John Hagee, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and former US Vice President Mike Pence.

Watch the full event below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UK5_zexBg4

Earlier in the day, Governor of Flora and Republican US presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis, spoke at the CUFI Summit 2023.

https://www.faithwire.com/2023/08/17/hillsong-church-founder-brian-houston-acquitted-by-australian-court/?
Hillsong Church Founder Brian Houston Acquitted by Australian Court
By Steve Warren
5 hours ago
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston was ruled not guilty by an Australian court Thursday after police brought one charge of concealing his father’s child sex crimes.

Houston, 69, was the Sydney-based megachurch’s senior global pastor when police charged him in 2021 with allegedly failing to bring the information to the attention of law enforcement authorities. He resigned from the Hillsong Church roles months later.

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast


Houston had pled “not guilty” to the charge. 

Sydney Magistrate Gareth Christofi ruled Houston had a reasonable excuse for not reporting his father Frank Houston’s alleged offenses to the police. Christofi accepted that Houston believed the victim Brett Sengstock did not want the abuse in the 1970s reported to the police.

Houston had faced a potential 5-year prison sentence if convicted.

‘THE VERY OPPOSITE OF A COVER-UP’
Sengstock testified in the trial that began in December that he never told Houston not to report the abuse. 

The magistrate said that regardless of what Sengstock didn’t tell Houston, Houston had been told by others about Sengstock’s reluctance.

“Victims of sexual abuse ought to feel safe to confide in others without being concerned they are exposing those others to a criminal offense,” Christofi said.

Prosecutor Dareth Harrison said Houston had found a convenient excuse to avoid reporting the allegation to authorities to protect both the church and his father.

Christofi said proving that motivation beyond reasonable doubt was a “tall order indeed.”

Prosecutors also submitted that Brian Houston had used vague language when he spoke publicly about his father’s abuse and removal as a minister.

However, Christofi found that while Brian Houston might have used euphemisms in public, his meaning was obvious, and speaking “widely and freely” about his father’s abuse indicated Houston wanted people to know, the magistrate said.

“That is the very opposite of a cover-up,” Christofi said.

Sengstock told reporters outside the courthouse that the verdict blamed him for the church’s failure to report the elder Houston to the police.

“Frank Houston was no pioneer for Christianity. His legacy remains a faded memory of a pedophile,” Sengstock told reporters.

“Regardless of today’s outcome, I have received a life sentence. Blaming the victim is as repulsive as the assaults themselves,” he added.

A teary-eyed Houston expressed sympathy to his father’s victims when he spoke to the media as he left the courtroom following the ruling. 

“I want to express my sadness to Brett Sengstock, genuine sadness about what my father did to him and all his victims. He was obviously a serial pedophile. We probably will never know the extent of his pedophilia,” Houston told the assembled reporters.

“A lot of people’s lives have been tragically hurt and for that, I’ll always be very sad. But I’m not my father,” he added.

Hillsong acknowledged the ruling in a statement from the church. “Our prayer is that those impacted deeply and irrevocably by the actions of Frank Houston will find peace and healing and that our former senior pastor Brian Houston and his family can look to the future and continue to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives,” it said.

POLICE CHARGED BRIAN HOUSTON AFTER TWO-YEAR INVESTIGATION, HIS FATHER WAS DEFROCKED
As CBN News reported in August of 2021, the New South Wales Police Force filed charges against Brian Houston in 2019 after a two-year investigation for allegedly covering up information about his father’s child sex offenses from the 1970s.

Frank Houston has been accused of abusing nine underage boys while he was a pastor. He confessed and was defrocked as an Assemblies of God pastor. The elder Houston passed away in 2004 at the age of 82. He was never charged.  

Brian Houston became aware in 1999 of his father’s abuse of Sengstock who was just 7 years old when he was assaulted. Sengstock has said he was sexually abused by the elder Houston for more than five years in the 1960s and 70s. He has condemned Brian Houston’s handling of the issue and accused him of covering up his dad’s sins.

In a blog post published July 23, 2021, Hillsong stated Brian Houston didn’t know about his father’s criminal action against Sengstock until he was 45 and the victim was 37. The church reports, “Numerous other pastors and individuals had knowledge of this matter prior to Brian Houston learning about it.”

“Upon being told of his father’s actions, Brian Houston confronted his father, reported the matter to the National Executive Assemblies of God in Australia, relayed the matter to the governing board of Sydney Christian Life Centre, and subsequently made a public announcement to the church,” the church stated. “Brian sought to honor the victim’s multiple requests not to inform the police.”

Since resigning from Hillsong in March of 2022, Houston has visited other pulpits, preaching at several churches in the U.S. and at events in Australia. 

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

https://www.faithwire.com/2023/08/15/are-aliens-real-do-ufos-exist-astrophysicist-reveals-why-these-things-arent-what-they-seem-and-can-seem-so-terrifying/
Are Aliens Real? Do UFOs Exist? Astrophysicist Reveals Why These Things Aren’t What They Seem, and Can Seem So ‘Terrifying’

Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash
By Billy Hallowell
Editor

6 hours ago
Are aliens real? Do UFOs really exist? These questions, once relegated to the confines of conspiratorial enterprises, are now legitimately being pondered among some scientists, academics — and even in the halls of Congress.

It’s an issue Dr. Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist and apologist, has long researched and explored.

“I became a UFO expert, but not on purpose,” he recently told “Billy Hallowell’s Playing With Fire.” “I was an amateur astronomer before I became a professional astronomer.”

Ross eventually found himself handling UFO reports at universities, exploring claims people made about aliens and unidentified phenomena. And he came to some fascinating conclusions.

“About 99% of what people would report to me as UFOs, I could explain as natural phenomena, a hoax, or secret government military activity,” Ross said. “But there’s a 1% residual that falls in a different category, and these would be UFO phenomena.”

Listen to Ross explain the nature of these alien encounters and what he’s observed:
He said these reports violated physics, yet there was purportedly evidence indicating they were “real phenomena.” Ross said many scientists won’t look seriously at these claims, as they’re not open to the possibility of “non-physical reality.”

“But, as a Christian, as a believer in the inerrancy of the Bible, I do believe in the existence of non-physical reality,” she said. “Because the Bible tells us God created two different species of intelligent life — one that’s constrained by the physics of the universe, and one that is not.”

With humans in the material realm and angels in the spiritual, Ross said new possibilities emerge when understanding claims of alien life and UFOs.

Rather than literal space creatures, Ross believes alien encounters are actually spiritual manifestations.

Citing details from claims of space crashes, landings, and supposed extraterrestrial encounters, the scientist said there’s never any debris and artifacts left behind — a fact he finds notable.

“If it was a physical craft crashing into the earth, you’d be able to recover some debris and artifacts,” he said. “But the fact that you see a crater, and melted snow, and damaged vegetation, means [it’s] something real.”

As for the human reaction to these encounters, Ross also noted they are “never beneficial” and interactions are “always deleterious.”

“The best you’re going to come away from with one of these encounters is recurring, terrifying nightmares,” he said. “Worst case scenario, you get killed.”

Reports of alien encounters also mirror what some have experienced during claims of demonic activity, he said. From going into trances to engaging in automatic writing, Ross believes the parallels between possession and purported interactions with extraterrestrials cannot be ignored.

The scientist also raised another issue: his belief that people in the occult are more likely to experience alien encounters. In fact, he said nations where there’s a “high incidence of occult involvement” will also see a much higher incidence of claims of alien encounters and UFOs.

“What you notice in these close encounters, it’s exclusively experienced by people who have significant involvement in the occult,” he said. “And when you remove that occult factor, that’s the end of the UFO encounters.”

Ross continued, “Increase the degree of occult, you increase the frequency of these UFO encounters.”

As a scientist and Christian, he said he wants to see people “close the doors” that allow for such experiences and separate from practices that could open pathways to what he believes is demonic in nature.

“These fallen angels can take whatever form they choose,” he said. “They can appear as your dead grandfather. They can appear as a flying saucer. They can appear as a leprechaun. And so that’s why it tells us in 1 John, ‘Tests the spirits.’ Don’t believe every supernatural being that approaches you — put them to the test.”

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast