Taking the war on Christmas to new heights, Patrick Mahoney is preparing to go to jail to defend religious freedom.

Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, is planning to read the Christmas story at the Capitol Tree on Thursday at noon. The Capitol Christmas Tree is located on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol Building.

“It is hard to imagine that a minister, or any American, would face possible arrest or citation for reading the Christmas story from the Bible or holding a Nativity Display in the palm of their hand in front of the Capitol Christmas tree on the lawn of the United States Capitol Building,” Mahoney says. “Yet, this is what I am facing on Thursday at noon.”

Mahoney met with Capitol police officials to share his plans to sing Christmas carols, read the Christmas story, pray for peace, justice and religious freedom, hold a small five-inch nativity display, and pray for political leaders at the Capitol Christmas tree.

Police informed Mahoney that some of his activities may be prohibited or constitute an illegal demonstration. So Mahoney contacted his attorney, Jim Henderson, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, who in turn called the Office of General Counsel for the Capitol Police on Tuesday.

Henderson sent Mahoney an email explaining that his use of the Bible or the ornament would convert his activity, in the view of the Capitol police, into a prohibited demonstration.

The bottom line: If Mahoney proceeds with his plans he could be ticketed—or even arrested. And he plans to do it anyway.

“Sadly, we are seeing a growing hostility toward public expressions of faith in the public square especially during the Christmas season. I was told I could hold sheet music, an instrument or camera in my hand, but if I hold a Bible or small nativity scene that would be considered a ‘prop’ and cause me to face arrest or citation,” Mahoney said.

“I want to make to clear that every American should have the right to express their faith in the public square free from government intimidation or harassment. If that means spending time in jail for reading the Christmas story from the Bible, then I consider that a small price to pay.”

Those of us in the West who are blessed with religious freedom think of Christmas as a cheery occasion. But how would you like to spend the holiday in a dark prison cell in Iran—where inmates without any legal protection are sometimes rounded up at night and hanged in secret mass executions?

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been in the Lakan prison, near the city of Rasht, Iran, since October 2009. He was arrested after he complained to authorities that the local school was forcibly teaching Islam to his two sons, Daniel, 9, and Yoel, 7. (The Iranian constitution supposedly guarantees religious freedom.) The charges against the pastor, who leads a 400-member congregation in Rasht, were later changed: He was accused of apostasy and evangelism.

This will be the third Christmas Youcef has spent in a prison cell.

The Nadarkhanis’ story resembles a nightmare. After Youcef’s arrest, his wife, Fatemah, was arrested, charged with apostasy and sentenced to life in prison. Officials threatened to place their two sons in a Muslim family, but Fatemah was released four months later. Meanwhile, Youcef was often placed in solitary confinement, and prison guards gave him pills to persuade him to renounce his Christian faith.

In September 2010 he was given a verbal death sentence, and that sentence was put in writing two months later. He was told he would be hanged unless he recanted his faith. With help from international Christian organizations, Youcef appealed to the Iranian Supreme Court. In June of this year the court upheld his death sentence.

Present Truth Ministries, a Minnesota-based organization focused on bringing the gospel to Muslims, reported a conversation that took place in September in a courtroom in Raust, when Iranian officials demanded that Youcef renounce his faith in Jesus.

Youcef: “You ask me to recant. Recant means to return. What do you wish me to return to? The blasphemy that I was in before Christ?”

Judge: “To the religion of your ancestors, Islam.”

Youcef: “I cannot.”

A Muslim attorney told Present Truth that the brave pastor has discovered spiritual strength to endure his struggle. “Physically he looks weak,” the lawyer said, “but emotionally his belief in Christ is keeping his spirits high.”

President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and leaders of other governments have demanded that Iran release Pastor Youcef, and mission organizations serving the persecuted church have encouraged Christians around the world to send letters of protest to Iranian authorities. (Please see the link at the bottom of this page.)

I’m asking you to do one more thing: Please pray for Pastor Youcef and his family on Christmas Day. While you are celebrating the freedom Christ brought us, please bear your brother’s burden and ask for God’s presense, strength, comfort and favor—not only for Youcef but for the many other Iranian believers who are suffering in silence at this time of year.

The clock is ticking, and this man’s life is on the line. Says Jason DeMars of Present Truth: “There are no assurances that [Youcef] will not be executed. It could happen at any time. This is the way the Iranian government operates with executions. They do not give advance notice and it is done in secret.”

We tend to think of Christmas as festive and delectable, full of hot cider, sweet treats and warm memories of family togetherness. Yet the first Christmas was neither warm nor friendly. It was fraught with danger, especially after King Herod launched his campaign to kill the baby Jesus.

The same spirit that controlled Herod (and drove his son Herod Antipas to behead John the Baptist) is operating in the world today to falsely accuse, imprison and kill Christians. It is the reason more than 450 Christians are martyred every day around the world. The Bible commands us: “Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body” (Heb. 13:3). Let’s stand in solidarity with our brother.

God’s best for you includes every good thing you could possibly need.

If I began to tell you about heaven, I couldn’t give you any firsthand information because I haven’t been there. But I can teach on prosperity because that is something I have experienced. I’ve gone from absolutely nothing to abundance in my life.

God’s ideal prosperity includes healing, protection, favor, wisdom, success, well-being and every good thing you could possibly need. It’s what Jesus provided for us by laying down His own life.

In the nearly 40 years of my Christian journey, the Lord has led me in the way of true prosperity using seven steps. Let’s briefly take a look at these key elements to living the prosperous life—the blessed life for which Jesus redeemed us.

The apostle John reveals the first step, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4, NKJV). “Truth” means to walk in the light of God’s Word, according to His ways and His wisdom. It’s living a godly lifestyle in obedience to what God says is right. You can’t do it and not be blessed.

Faithfulness is another step that moves us closer to prosperity. It’s a fruit of the Spirit you received when you were born again. Scripture says: “‘His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord”‘” (Matt. 25:21).

To live abundantly we must also be diligent. The Word repeatedly says we are to seek God with all diligence, hearken to what He says and obey His commands. Why? Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says that when you listen diligently and obey, blessings overtake you! Diligence brings increase. As Proverbs 10:4 says, “The hand of the diligent makes rich.”

Tithing and giving are essential too. The Bible says, “Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency. … So shall your storage places be filled with plenty” (Prov. 3:9-10, The Amplified Bible).

My husband, Ken, and I never had any financial growth until we became faithful in tithing. The tithe belongs to God. As we give it to support those who feed us spiritually, we honor Him.

In addition to tithing, we must give as the Lord leads us to the people and places where we are to sow. The Hebrew word for “offering” comes from a root word that means to “draw nigh.” We have the privilege of coming close to God when we obey in the area of finances.

Second Corinthians 9:6 says: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (NKJV). God desires to increase you and bless you because He loves you.

To live prosperously, we must practice believing and saying God’s Word. “Since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak” (2 Cor. 4:13).

Faith must be in two places—in your heart and in your mouth. Believing in your heart and saying with your mouth produce the operation of faith.

I learned to take the Word literally as God speaking to me. I learned if I put it in my eyes, put it in my ears, and let it get down into my heart in abundance, it would come out my mouth in faith-filled words.

I learned faithfully and diligently to do what it says to do. My life and circumstances changed, and they still get better every day.

To me, these are the major steps to enjoy the prosperous life that God offers to every one of His children. I can tell you from my own experience that these steps will bring you increase, no matter where you are in life and no matter what you need.

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Gloria Copeland is co-founder and vice president of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas. She and her husband, Kenneth, are known for their teachings on faith, healing and victorious Christian living. Their daily TV broadcast, Believer’s Voice of Victory, airs globally on more than 300 stations.

Living Hope needed ‘faith and a fight’ to  hold on to its former Kmart campus

Despite high-profile ministry bankruptcies in the past year, Living Hope Church is proving God is still faithful by raising more than $1 million in just 40 days to maintain possession of its Vancouver, Wash., campus, a former Kmart retail store.

Of course, no one said the miracle came without faith and a fight. 

Not only did the 6,000-member church have its challenges, senior pastor John Bishop personally felt the impact of principalities and powers that opposed his gospel mission. Bishop suffered health problems even as his son battled with drugs. 

After defeating these giants—and raising the $5 million it needed to pay off the building owners by the deadline—the church is stronger than ever.

“This is a church that has learned what it means to be a church—to sacrifice, put the needs of others first, to learn what it means about the vision of Jesus more than our own comfort,” Bishop, author of Dangerous Church, says.

Living Hope’s victory shows that God still works through people to perform miracles. In order to raise the money, about 20 people donated diamond rings, several gave their cars, one person gave a motorcycle and another gave the church a duplex, which sold for $100,000 in seven days. One generous family gave up the money it had been saving to go to Disneyland, and a struggling church wrote Living Hope a $5,000 check.

In all, the megachurch raised $5.3 million before the deadline. With the excess funds, Living Hope held a megaoutreach to the homeless. The church stormed the city with 20 buses to gather homeless people and bring them back to the church facility. They provided sleeping bags, socks, backpacks full of essentials and more. Church staff even dressed up in formal wear and served the homeless dinner.

With his fundraising campaign, Bishop put his neck on the line by calling the building the church’s “promised land” and assuring the congregation God would provide. The pastor planned to resign if they did not raise the money to pay off the building owners by the deadline.

“Christians, intrinsically, we’re wired to be risk-adverse,” Bishop says. “But God wants us to step out in faith. It’s faith that moved the mountains. Without faith you can’t please God.” 

“I know in my heart if this didn’t happen I would have to resign. How could I lead a church and say this is our promised land and it didn’t happen? Either I wasn’t listening to God or something went terribly wrong.”

Crazy Love author wants to plant 586 churches—all in apartment buildings

San Francisco’s Tenderloin district houses 37,000 people in 586 apartment buildings—all in just one square mile. The multi-denominational ministry San Francisco City Impact (SFCI) dreams of planting churches in those apartment buildings—in every single one of them.

Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love and former pastor of Cornerstone Community Church, is working with the SFCI team on an initiative called Adopt a Building. Their mission: to “holistically heal and transform” the San Francisco community through urgent-relief works and preventive works. 

The urgent-relief works provide food, clothing, housing and rescuing for those in crisis; the preventive works of educating, counseling, training and spiritual discipleship exist to make sure the cycles of poverty and despair aren’t repeated.

With the Adopt a Building method, an apartment building is chosen and a prayer team assembled to pray for those residents. Then a “grace team” goes door to door, visiting each unit in the building, asking residents if there is anything they need—food, medical or school supplies, prayer. 

Grace team members are there to say, “We don’t want anything from you, we just want to give,” Chan explains in a promotional video. They will compile a list of needs and prayers for residents and return the next week to deliver what was requested. This allows the teams to continue conversation they started the week before and ask if prayer requests were answered.

Chan says that if residents’ prayer requests are answered, the team can ask if they’d like to know about God. If so, the ministry then will send a discipleship team to the home to teach them how to study the Bible and know God for themselves.

“Our ultimate goal is that we would train some of these people and teach these people so well that eventually there would be a leader in that building who would gather the other believers together and even be the pastor of that apartment building,” Chan says. 

“And our goal is to go to every single building and plant a church,” he adds. “I know that sounds a little far-fetched or maybe crazy to you, but we believe it can be done and we believe this is something God wants to do.”

Christian Huang, operations director for Adopt a Building, says the team will use a discipleship curriculum Chan is working on to train the pastors. The ministry’s first launch meeting was held in November; 65 volunteers attended who were working in four buildings. 

“We believe God is going to answer the prayers of His people and He’s going to show His power,” Chan says. “We believe for His church to be established down here.”

Counterculture farm’s organic community a rich soil for God’s love

Three couples. One vision. And a 40-acre farm. That’s the genesis of Nomad’s Land, a cooperative community that aims to give road-weary travelers a place to rest and find fellowship with like-minded believers—and offer a new beginning to hippies, gutter punks, train hoppers and societal outcasts.

Joshua Hanson and his wife, Shallyn, along with Beau and Ashley Armistead, founders of Lone Sheep Ministries, and evangelists Al and Tina Nord, purchased the Alabama farm to fulfill a common vision: bringing together nomadic ministers and counterculture youth for an organic experience sprinkled with the love of God.

“In the past we were on the road 24/7 and felt a lot like Abraham—waiting on the land God would show him,” Hanson says. “We always dreamed of having a safe and healthy environment, a ministry base where we could bring people to grow in the love of Christ.”

You might call it a Matthew 11:28 ministry. Nomad’s Land echoes the words of Jesus: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (vv. 28-30).

Nomad’s Land visitors work in the organic garden and learn to build houses using natural materials such as clay and straw. Early plans for the 40-acre farm, which is located near Rainbow City, Ala., about 45 miles east of Birmingham, include a library and a multipurpose room for classes and music sessions. Hanson also hopes to organize music festivals there. It’s all part of attracting nomadic ministers and nomadic youth.

Hanson can relate to today’s nomadic youth. He’s a former Grateful Dead follower who crashed his psychedelic hippie bus into what is now the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Mo. The accident got his attention, led him to accept Jesus as Lord and ignited his desire to share his faith—especially with those on the fringe. He founded Jesus Loves You, a counterculture ministry that held its first outreach 14 years ago by serving free food and sharing the love of Jesus at an annual New Age festival called a Rainbow Gathering.

Although Nomad’s Land doesn’t charge people to rest at its haven, it does cost money to operate the facilities. Hanson has organized unique fundraisers, such as an auction and a pilgrimage. 

The Second Annual Pilgrimage to Nomad’s Land saw participants raising money by walking the 45 miles from Birmingham to Rainbow City. Following a big brown school bus down a major roadway, a colorful band of musicians, hippies, nomads and ministers came from all across the U.S. to help raise funds and awareness for the refuge.

But most days it’s just Jesus and the nomads.

“A typical day at Nomad’s Land begins with a Bible study and a community breakfast, followed by work in the garden or building projects,” Hanson explains. “We might take our produce to a local market or get involved in community service. We hope to bring in teachers and musicians to hold workshops or classes. In the evening we like to have a campfire and a drum circle.”

Evangelist endures “toughest year of my life” but says Jesus has healed him

The evangelist perhaps best known for the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Fla., Steve Hill battled melanoma for more than three years—and refused to give up despite what sounded like death knocking at his door. Now he’s preparing to run back to the battle line with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Steve Hill Ministries’ staff in June called for 48 hours of focused prayer and fasting on behalf of the evangelist who founded Heartland Church in Las Colinas, Texas, after the battle for his life intensified. What the staff didn’t tell the world at that time was that doctors had given him three days to live.

“I’ve been through the toughest year of my life,” Hill told Charisma. “I’ve been in a wheelchair for many months. Last June, the doctors gave me three days to live. Funeral arrangements were being made. Hospice was at my house for six months waiting for me to die from this cancer. Sorry, Charlie … not today. I plan on living many more years—at least Hezekiah’s 15 extra years. Jesus heals.”

Hill is no stranger to the power of Jesus to deliver. Fueled by his own dramatic deliverance from drugs, alcohol and crime in 1975, Hill has dedicated his life to spreading the gospel around the world. His passion to help those who are hurting and his pursuit of genuine, God-breathed revival have only intensified after years of missionary work, church planting and evangelistic crusades.

If anything, Hill’s battle with cancer only gave him a greater determination to preach the gospel. He says he can’t wait to get back on the front lines, calling his sword “sharp” and the fire in his heart “white hot.” He plans to shout the cross, the blood, repentance and salvation through Jesus from the housetops to close what he sees as a widening gulf between God and humanity.

“I’ve never seen such loneliness and despair. People are grasping at anything that will give just a moment of relief,” Hill says. “Christ must be offered without apology. This generation of Christians has the greatest opportunity, the most incredible tools and an audience that is craving the hard-core truth.” 

Hill says Christians today must burn with the passion of Elijah and have the endurance of the apostle Paul. Trials like the one he’s been through are certain to come, he says, but he’s quick to encourage others: “Press on! These are hard times yet these are the best of times. Let’s not let the curtain close without pouring everything we have into this conflict. Victory is certain.”

Holy Spirit sweeps over 14,000 conference attendees from 49 nations who gathered in Indonesia

Fourteen thousand people from 49 nations recently convened in the world’s most populous Muslim nation for a single purpose: to unite the Spirit-filled movement across Asia to focus resources on the harvest. 

After the dust settled on the four-day Empowered21 Asia Congress, Spirit-filled Christian leaders spoke out about what they experienced in Jakarta, Indonesia, and what it means for the global church.

“I believe those who were present received the fire of revival and will bring that fire to the nations,” says Empowered21 Asia host Niko Njotorahardjo, senior pastor of Gereja Bethel Indonesia. “This fire of revival was initiated by prayer, praise and worship, and unity over the past four days.”

Marilyn Hickey, who recently celebrated her 80th birthday, also made the trip to Jakarta and called the event “wonderful.”

“Its vision and passion has really touched my heart. I feel this is a destiny time,” Hickey says. “I see all of these people from all over Asia and I know they are going to go back home with a fresh anointing and in ‘attack mode.’”

Ricardo Sanchez, international worship leader and Christian recording artist, compares Empowered21 Asia to a “transfer zone” of cultures and generations, and he notes that the zone is the place where the baton is passed in a relay.

“The danger in a relay is not running with the baton but rather the transfer of the baton in the transfer zone,” Sanchez says. “That is where the baton sometime gets dropped, and that is the most dangerous and yet most successful place.”

“The roots of the NAR were Christians in small groups. When we gather together so we can influence the world, true relationships form.”

—Linda Jones

 

Forming the reformation

I enjoyed “The Truth About the New Apostolic Reformation” (by C. Peter Wagner, November), but my view of the church world is that the basic building block is not in its right place. The roots of the NAR were Christians meeting in small groups where people knew each other, and there were personal relationships. When we gather together to be refilled so we can influence the world, then the result is that true godly relationships are formed. 

Linda Jones, Panama City Beach, Fla.

 

Classifying catholics

I am a Catholic priest who has enjoyed reading Charisma for 20 years. The article “So Help Us, God” (by Stephen Mansfield & David A. Holland, November) speaks of odd teachings, and groups together Muslim teachings about Gabriel and Mohammed, Mormon teachings about spirit babies and spirit bodies, and two Roman Catholic teachings. The authors might not agree with Catholic theology, but to group this with the other teachings is unfair. 

Monsignor Vincent M. Walsh, Darby, Pa.

 

Outreach versus inclusion 

I have to adamantly object to the article, “Out, But Not Disqualified” (by Richie Hughes, November). The writer said we should accept homosexuals into our churches and let them be involved in sharing their gifts. Homosexuality, along with adultery, thievery and other strongholds, are not of God’s design. Yes, we need to reach out to all those in “lifestyles.” We need to inform them that God is ready to deliver them from any bondage they do not like.

Roy Proctor, Enterprise, Ala.

 

Messy ‘housekeeping’?

Disturbed. That’s how I felt after reading Kimberly Daniels’ “Spiritual Housekeeping” (November). The easy way she attributes misguided giving, oppressed youth, traditions of men and elders becoming “demonically old” as manifestations of demonic spirits  is disturbing. Jesus said religious leaders made God’s Word ineffectual by their traditions, not “generational religious spirits.” Paul attributed his Pharisaical works to zealous ignorance, not demonic activity. 

Jim Mackey, Duncanville, Texas

The debut inspirational project Saving Winston, by three-time horror filmmaker Shane Hawks, builds on lessons he learned in those previous productions, but it’s a far cry from their dark content.

The family-friendly drama revolves around a troubled teen who finds redemption through caring for an abandoned horse and includes a scene featuring the sinner’s prayer.

“It’s the longest shot in the whole movie,” Hawks says. “I felt like because my first three films were so unChristian I needed to make up the difference.”

Saving Winston was filmed around Hawks’ hometown, Eugene, Ore., where he returned after several years in Los Angeles in which his secular movie efforts did not bear fruit. “I said, ‘Lord, give me another chance and I will make films for you from now on.’” Things started to turn around almost immediately, resulting in Saving Winston.