Eritrean officials on Sunday arrested 30 Christians for praying at a private house in the capital city of Asmara. Some were only recently released after being detained for their faith, according to International Christian Concern’s (ICC) Africa office.

Security officials arrested the Christians and took them to a police
station in Asmara. Security officials also detained another Christian on
January 4. The detained Christians are members of the Philadelphia
Church, an evangelical church outlawed in Eritrea.

“Imprisoning citizens for holding a prayer meeting is not only deplorable but also against the basic rights of citizens to peacefully enjoy their religious freedom,” says Jonathan Racho, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa. “We urge Eritrea to immediately release Christians who have been imprisoned for practicing their faith. We urge Christians throughout the world to pray for their Eritrean brothers and sisters and help them in this difficult time.”

Several churches have been forced to go underground in Eritrea since 2002 when officials required all religious groups to register. The officials only registered four religious groups: Islam, the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
 
In Eritrea, more than 3000 Christians have been detained for their faith in Christ, ICC reports. Most of them are kept in underground dungeons, metal shipping containers, and military barracks. Several Christians have died while imprisoned due to torture and lack of medical attention.

“When the Vow (Almost) Breaks.” “Forgiveness That Transcends.” “The
Devil in Pew No. 7.” Those are just a few of the impactful headlines in
the January 2011 issue of Charisma magazine.

The new year is all
about starting with a clean slate, says Charisma Editor Marcus Yoars.
Beyond the resolutions that are likely to fade by the end of the month,
he says, New Year’s represents a chance to start over again. That’s why
the January 2011 issue of Charisma focuses on the theme of forgiveness
and its power in giving people a second chance.

“Our cover story
highlights a remarkable couple who, through the power of forgiveness,
overcame infidelity and an unexpected pregnancy to now counsel thousands
of couples each year,” Yoars says. “We also tell the incredible account
of about a family who paid the highest price to forgive a man obsessed
with making their lives a living nightmare. Those stories, along with
some challenging teachings on forgiveness from respected pastors Brian
Zahnd and R.T. Kendall and an entire section devoted to celebrating the
‘Year of the Bible,’ make this an issue readers will find useful beyond
the pages.”

Other articles in Charisma’s January issue include
“How Did We Get the Bible?” in which Bible scholar Craig S. Keener
explains the history and canonization of the Word in laymen’s terms.
Meanwhile, freelance writer Ken Walker looks at ministries translating
the Bible in record time for the world’s most remote cultures in an
article entitled, “When God Doesn’t Speak Your Language.” And Charisma
marks the one-year anniversary of Haiti’s devastating earthquake with a
special report on how Christian organizations continue to offer hope and
healing as the country rebuilds.

Subscribe to Charisma magazine today.

Undaunted by criticism over past prophetic utterances, Pat Robertson is once again sharing what he believes the Lord has spoken to him for 2011.

Before sharing the prophetic word on CBN, Robertson explained that sometimes his prophetic inspiration is “so spot on its frightening,” while other times he has put things out tentatively to see if it is what the Lord has. He made it clear that he is no psychic, but that sometimes God graciously gives him direction.

With that preface, here is some of what Robertson shared on a TV interview with Terry Meeuwsen about the Lord’s thoughts for 2011:

“Your country is in grave peril. The leaders have hearkened to the demands of interest groups and have led your nation into bankruptcy. In two years will come a time of reckoning”—it’s not now, but it’s gonna be two years from now. “Your creditors will demand payment and there will not be enough to satisfy their claims. Your currency will shrink in value, your bonds will lose value, people on fixed incomes will suffer, unemployment will escalate, and there will be turmoil.”

And God says, “I will protect My people,” but He says, “Warn them now about what is coming—tell them to get out of debt and restrict purchases NOW.” Because you know, if you own your house and you have whatever you have and there’s no debt against it, you get to keep it regardless of what happens. But if you have debt against it, you lose.

Well the Lord said, “My glory will shine throughout the earth. Everywhere men will be seeking solutions to their problems. Many will turn to Me, many will curse and revile Me. There’s going to be a division coming up,”—it already is, but it’ll be worse. “It will not be a time of happiness. Bitter recriminations, revolutions, increasing turmoil. In the midst of that, CBN will prosper, Regent will prosper, the ACLJ will be needed as never before.”

The word was in 2012 the man who is going to be elected president, will preside over quote, “an impoverished nation”—it’s hard to believe that could happen, but it can quickly.

Robertson went on to say that he doesn’t think America’s fate is set in stone, but that this will happen if the nation keeps heading in its current direction.

Armed police have arrested 20 Christians found worshipping in the home of a Laos village pastor. Arrested on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5, these believers were accused of holding secret meetings.

The new round-up of Christians in Nakoon, Hinboun District, comes in the wake of the renewed persecution and forced relocation of Christians in Katin, Ta-Oyl District which began at Christmas.

Southeast Asian Director Stephen Van Valkenburg of Christian Aid Mission has confirmation from reliable indigenous leaders that government officials renewed their persecution of Laotian Christians over the Christmas holidays. Local officials reportedly expelled 15 more believers—seven families—from their homes and destroyed rice fields in an attempt to starve Christians out of the Katin area.

Three days after forcing the families out, the village chief and other officials reportedly burned down the fences around the believers’ rice paddies and farmlands. Dikes were destroyed and water drained from rice paddies. Officials reportedly trampled through the crops, destroying all seedlings to prevent a winter harvest.

The expulsion of these seven Katin Christian families came after official warnings issued two months ago. At that time, the Katin chief and the head of the village religious affairs warned the Christians against continuing to exercise their religious freedom and holding to their Christian faith.

Have you heard about the homeless man with the golden voice who just landed a job at with the Cleveland Cavaliers? It’s a story of God’s grace and redemption—and it’s getting the nation’s attention.

If you haven’t seen the video, you can watch it here.

Ted Williams was living on the streets of Columbus holding a sign that says “God-given gift of voice.” Doral Chenoweth, a Columbus Dispatch reporter, got curious and decided to give him a dollar just to hear the recovering drug addict speak. Williams was formerly a radio announcer, but fell on hard times. He just wanted a decent job and a place to live. God gave him much more.

After Chenoweth’s video went viral, Williams landed a spot on a local morning show and job offers started rolling in. He is now highly sought after not only by the NBA, but also NFL Films.

“It’s that voice,” said Kevin McLoughlin, director of post-production films for the NFL told The Associated Press. “When I heard him tell his story, I said, ‘That’s what we do. This guy can tell a story.’ Somehow, some way, I need to get a demo with him.”

The 53-year-old Williams’ response? “God has been so good to me. It’s like winning the mega ball lottery or something.”

Does this story inspire you? Has God moved in miraculous ways in your life? I’d love to hear about it.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court on Thursday is hearing the case of a homeschooled girl who was ordered into a government school by a state judge.

In the original order issued in July 2009, the court reasoned that the girl’s “vigorous defense of her religious beliefs to [her] counselor suggests strongly that she has not had the opportunity to seriously consider any other point of view” and then ordered her to be enrolled in a government school instead of being home-schooled.

Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) allied attorney John Anthony Simmons will argue before the high court on behalf of the girl’s mother, who is objecting to the judge’s order on appeal.

As Simmons sees it, parents have a fundamental right to make educational choices for their children. Courts can settle disputes, he argues, but they cannot legitimately order a child into a government-run school on the basis that her religious views need to be mixed with other views. That’s precisely what the lower court admitted it is doing in this case, and that’s where Simmons’ concern lies.

The court acknowledged that, while being home-schooled, the girl was “well liked, social and interactive with her peers, academically promising, and intellectually at or superior to grade level,” but then it ordered her out of the home schooling she loved so that her religious views will be challenged at a government school. That’s where Simmons says the court went too far.

Simmons filed a motion to reconsider and stay the order in August 2009. In her denial of the motions, Judge Lucinda V. Sadler of the Family Division of the Judicial Court for Belknap County in Laconia wrote that the girl “is at an age when it can be expected that she would benefit from the social interaction and problem solving she will find in public school, and granting a stay would result in a lost opportunity for her.”

“The lower court effectively determined that it’s a ‘lost opportunity’ if a child’s strongly held Christian views are not sifted and challenged in a public school setting,” says Simmons. “We appealed because that’s a dangerous precedent.”

Do you feel the government should be allowed to force kids into government schools to challenge their religious beliefs?

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued a 3-0 decision in Trunk v. City of San Diego Tuesday, holding that the memorial cross at Mt. Soledad violates the U.S. Constitution. The decision has led to outcry from numerous Christian groups.

The case, Jewish War Veterans v. City of San Diego, involves a 29-foot Latin cross that was erected in 1954 to honor U.S. veterans. The plaintiffs want the cross taken down because it stands on public land.

In the ruling, the court stated, “After examining the entirety of the Mount Soledad Memorial in context — having considered its history, its religious and non-religious uses, its sectarian and secular features, the history of war memorials and the dominance of the Cross — we conclude that the Memorial, presently configured and as a whole, primarily conveys a message of government endorsement of religion that violates the Establishment Clause. This result does not mean that the Memorial could not be modified to pass constitutional muster nor does it mean that no cross can be part of this veterans’ memorial. We take no position on those issues.”

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which filed an amicus brief behalf of 25 members of Congress in support of the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego, says the decision by a federal appeals court declaring the memorial unconstitutional is flawed and represents “a judicial slap in the face” to our military veterans.
 
“This flawed decision not only strikes at the heart of honoring our military veterans, it reaches a faulty conclusion that this iconic memorial—part of the historic landscape of San Diego—is unconstitutional,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which has been active for years in defending the constitutionality of the memorial and its cross.

“We believe the appeals court got this decision wrong and we look forward to the case going to the Supreme Court where we’re confident this decision will be overturned.  We’re already preparing for the next chapter in this decades-old challenge and plan to file an amicus brief at the high court in support of the constitutionality of the memorial on behalf of members of Congress.”

The American Legion called on the Justice Department to appeal the decision with the U.S. Supreme Court. Jimmie Foster, national commander of the nation’s largest veterans organization, is asking Attorney General Eric Holder to the decision to the Supreme Court.

“The sanctity of this cross is about the right to honor our nation’s veterans in a manner which the overwhelming majority supports,” Foster says. “The American Legion strongly believes the public has a right to protect its memorials.”

Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Joe Infranco says war heroes have earned the right to be remembered. As he sees it, the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom shouldn’t be dishonored because the ACLU finds a small number of people who are merely offended.

“It’s tragic that the court chose a twisted and tired interpretation of the First Amendment over the common-sense idea that the families of fallen American troops should be allowed to honor these heroes as they choose.  No one is harmed, constitutionally or otherwise, by the presence of a cross on a war memorial.  There is great harm to tearing these memorials down.  The memorial cross should stand in honor of the sacrifice made by American troops.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued a 3-0 decision in Trunk v. City of San Diego Tuesday, holding that the memorial cross at Mt. Soledad violates the U.S. Constitution. The decision has led to outcry from numerous Christian groups.

The case, Jewish War Veterans v. City of San Diego, involves a 29-foot Latin cross that was erected in 1954 to honor U.S. veterans. The plaintiffs want the cross taken down because it stands on public land.

In the ruling, the court stated, “After examining the entirety of the Mount Soledad Memorial in context — having considered its history, its religious and non-religious uses, its sectarian and secular features, the history of war memorials and the dominance of the Cross — we conclude that the Memorial, presently configured and as a whole, primarily conveys a message of government endorsement of religion that violates the Establishment Clause. This result does not mean that the Memorial could not be modified to pass constitutional muster nor does it mean that no cross can be part of this veterans’ memorial. We take no position on those issues.”

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which filed an amicus brief behalf of 25 members of Congress in support of the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego, says the decision by a federal appeals court declaring the memorial unconstitutional is flawed and represents “a judicial slap in the face” to our military veterans.
 
“This flawed decision not only strikes at the heart of honoring our military veterans, it reaches a faulty conclusion that this iconic memorial—part of the historic landscape of San Diego—is unconstitutional,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which has been active for years in defending the constitutionality of the memorial and its cross.

“We believe the appeals court got this decision wrong and we look forward to the case going to the Supreme Court where we’re confident this decision will be overturned.  We’re already preparing for the next chapter in this decades-old challenge and plan to file an amicus brief at the high court in support of the constitutionality of the memorial on behalf of members of Congress.”

The American Legion called on the Justice Department to appeal the decision with the U.S. Supreme Court. Jimmie Foster, national commander of the nation’s largest veterans organization, is asking Attorney General Eric Holder to the decision to the Supreme Court.

“The sanctity of this cross is about the right to honor our nation’s veterans in a manner which the overwhelming majority supports,” Foster says. “The American Legion strongly believes the public has a right to protect its memorials.”

Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Joe Infranco says war heroes have earned the right to be remembered. As he sees it, the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom shouldn’t be dishonored because the ACLU finds a small number of people who are merely offended.

“It’s tragic that the court chose a twisted and tired interpretation of the First Amendment over the common-sense idea that the families of fallen American troops should be allowed to honor these heroes as they choose.  No one is harmed, constitutionally or otherwise, by the presence of a cross on a war memorial.  There is great harm to tearing these memorials down.  The memorial cross should stand in honor of the sacrifice made by American troops.”

When the Tree of Life Christian Schools purchased the former American Online/Time-Warner building in Upper Arlington, Ohio, the organization had big plans to consolidate four overcrowded campuses housing its 660 students.

Those plans came to a screeching halt when the city refused to grant the school access to its new building. A problematic zoning code is blocking the Christian school from using the facility to educate students.

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday on behalf of Tree of Life Christian Schools against city of Upper Arlington. The lawsuit challenges a zoning regulation that prohibits schools within the zone but permits daycare facilities and many other similar uses.

“No city should use its zoning code to keep a Christian school’s students in inferior and overcrowded facilities. A city’s zoning code cannot give preferential treatment to non-religious institutions that function similarly to a Christian school,” says ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley. “Upper Arlington will allow a daycare facility of any size to occupy a building in this zone, but it won’t allow this school. Federal law specifically prohibits zoning officials from subjecting religious organizations to this type of unequal treatment.”

The new building would allow the school to grow to 1,300 students, but city officials refused to allow the school to apply for zoning approval even though the city’s zoning law would allow daycare facilities and other similar uses of equal size. If approved, the school would provide more than 150 new jobs to the city as well as tax revenue greater than what has been realized from the vacant site in many years.

Under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, government officials are barred from subjecting religious ministries to unequal treatment in zoning laws.

The lawsuit Tree of Life Christian Schools v. City of Upper Arlington was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.

Have you ever been mad at God? If so, you are not alone.

Many people over the ages have struggled with anger against the Father. Now, a new study out of Case Western Reserve University is exploring this anger in a new light.

“Many people experience anger toward God,” says Julie Exline, an associate professor in Case Western Reserve’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Even people who deeply love and respect God can become angry. Just as people become upset or angry with others, including loved ones, they can also become angry with God.”

Exline has researched anger toward God over the past decade, conducting studies with hundreds of people, including college students, cancer survivors and grief-stricken family members.

What Exline and her colleagues have found is that anger toward God often coincides with deaths, illnesses, accidents or natural disasters. Yet anger is not limited to traumatic situations. It can also surface when people experience personal disappointments, failures, or interpersonal hurts. Some people see God as ultimately responsible for such events, and they become angry when they see God’s intentions as cruel or uncaring. They might think that God abandoned, betrayed, or mistreated them, Exline says.

According to Exline’s research, it can be difficult for people to acknowledge their anger toward God. Many people are ashamed and don’t want to admit their feelings, she says. In particular, people who are highly religious may believe that they should focus only on the positive side of religious life.

“But religion and spirituality are like other domains of life, such as work and relationships,” Exline says. “They bring important benefits, but they can bring difficulties as well. Anger with God is one of those struggles.”

Exline’s findings show that Protestants, African Americans, and older people tend to report less anger at God; people who do not believe in God may still harbor anger; and anger toward God is most distressing when it is frequent, intense, or chronic. Overcoming anger at God, she says, may require some of the same steps needed to resolve other anger issues.

“People may benefit from reflecting more closely on the situation and how they see God’s role in it,” Exline suggests. “For example, they may become less angry if they decide that God was not actually responsible for the upsetting event, or if they can see how God has brought some meaning or benefit from a painful situation.”

People who feel angry toward God also need to be reassured that they are not alone. Many individuals experience such struggles, she adds, and suggests that people try to be open and honest with God about their anger, rather than pulling away or trying to cover up their negative feelings.

Have you ever been mad at God? How did you deal with it? I’d love to hear your experience in the comment box below.